Texas Gov. Rick Perry reportedly will make it clear this Saturday at the RedState Gathering in Charleston, South Carolina, that he is running for president. A Perry announcement would undoubtedly steal headlines from Rep. Michele Bachmann’s, R-Minn, expected strong performance in the Ames Straw Poll that same day. If Perry does announce he is running, that is not the last time he will be taking the wind from Bachmann’s sails.
Recent Gallup and CNN polls both show that Bachmann stands to lose the most support support should Perry enter the race. A July 18-20 CNN poll shows Bachmann falling from 15 percent to 12 percent if Perry’s name is included in the offered list of GOP hopefuls. A July 20-24 Gallup poll shows a 5 point drop (18 to 15). In both polls, Perry enters the race ahead of Bachmann, but behind frontrunner and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
At first glance, Perry’s entrance may appear to benefit Romney by further splitting an already fractured GOP field. But a July 20 -24 Pew poll shows Perry could end up being a real threat. While Romney does lead Perry among all Republican voters by a 21 – 12 margin, among those who are following the primary the closest, Perry leads Romney 22 to 15.
Americans for Rick Perry, a draft-Perry group, has volunteers working in Iowa already.
